The History of the famous Preacher Friar Gerund de Campazas, otherwise Gerund Zotes Volume 1; Translated from the Spanish

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1772 Excerpt: ... And as the day after the famous sermon on the Incarnation, the shoemaker (who worked for the convent) brought him home a pair of shoes, and as he was fitting them on, began, with his usual impertinent prattle, to extol the yesterday's sermon, thinking at the same time to flatter his Reverence by praising a Friar of his order, the good father Ex-provincial laid hold of the opportunity, and taking out his snuffbox, and giving Martin (as the shoemaker was called) a pinch, bad him sit down by him, and looking him in the face, said, with the greatest goodness in the world, "Come, come, Martin, what do'st thou understand of sermons? Why do'st thou speak of that thou do'st not understand, nor art capable of understanding? If thou knowest not how to write or read, or scarcely to spell, how fliould'st thou know who who preaches well or ill? Tell me, if I were to fay to thee that thou didst not know how to cut or to sew a shoe, and that any one of thy trade would do it better, would'st thou not reply with reason, " Father, let this alone, for you do not understand it; mind your books and leave us with our awls and our ends? Now, whether a shoe be ill or well cut or sewed, any one may know who is not blind. If then a scholar and preacher would do ill in censuring, and much worse in giving rules for, the performance of a shoemaker, is it susferable that a shoemaker should take upon him to censure, and give rules for the performance of a preacher? Look ye, Martin, the utmost that thou can'st know and judge of is, whether the preacher be tall or short, strait or crooked, a regular or secular, fat or lean, fearful or bold, of much or little action, or a loud or a low voice, for in order to this there is need only of eyes and ears; but in going farther thou not ...